Since I'm really busy, I can't write a whole lot about the 30th anniversary of Rush Week at the 'tute. I remember going to the Student Center to check in. They didn't have my room assignment, although I was registered, so they gave me a room in EC. Then I went off to Kilian Court, where all the new freshman were gathered to hear the orientation speech. I looked for familiar faces, and saw a few people who I'd met either from MITE (now MITES) or my spring '79 visit to the 'tute, and a few Stuy folks. When the speeches ended, all the rushers swarmed in. I thought it was interesting how all these people wanted so very much to get to know me. :)

However, I didn't participate in the rush right away. A couple of people I knew from MITE were talking to a guy who looked a lot older than most of the students. He wanted to know if we were interested in a pick-up basketball game. I said yes, so we went to play in the DuPont center. Turns out JP was a former student who liked to come back to campus every year to relive the first day of orientation. He thought I was a little more nerdly than my other two friends (and was probably right). I don't remember exactly what I did after the game, but somehow I was able to get a ride over to a ZBT party.

JP and I would cross paths again a few more times during my first two years at the 'tute. Eventually I would work for him for a couple of summers and an IAP from 1981-82. I would eventually learn that he was a 6-3 major, and that Jerry Saltzer was his advisor. A long story for another time, but JP is probably more responsible than anyone for convincing me not to drop out of MIT, and in fact, to seek out UROP info from JS, which is how I wound up in LCS, learned about Internet protocols, etc.